In 2001 CrimTrac established the National Criminal Investigation DNA database (NCIDD). The NCIDD was established to assist law enforcement agencies across Australia to:
The database contains profiles from samples collected at crime scenes, from convicted offenders, suspects and unidentified bodies. In some circumstances, DNA profiles from volunteers may be compared with other profiles on the database.
Australian police may use DNA evidence when investigating cases. A sample is collected from a suspect or charged person (depending on state or territory law), DNA is extracted and the DNA profile obtained is compared against DNA from the crime scene. DNA evidence has been used to implicate criminals in serious offences such as sexual assault, armed robbery and murder, as well as helping to solve many high volume crimes such as burglary. Just as importantly, DNA has also clearly established the innocence of many people who might otherwise be suspects for a crime.
The database is also used to assist identification of deceased or missing persons.